Ghana Secures Stable Cocoa Freight Rates Amid Global Shipping Volatility
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
Ghana has secured stable freight rates for cocoa exports in the 2025/26 crop season, following high-level negotiations with major international shipping lines in Rouen, France.
The talks, led by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) and the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC), engaged 20 global carriers and concluded with agreements aimed at preserving the country’s export competitiveness amid rising global shipping costs and geopolitical uncertainty.
Under the new rates, shipments to the United Kingdom will cost £32 per tonne, northern Europe €56.72 per tonne, and Brazil US$122.05 per tonne. Long-haul destinations such as Japan were fixed at US$111.39 per tonne, while Mediterranean Europe was agreed at €63.67 per tonne. All rates include bunker adjustment factors, with payments pegged to Reuters exchange rates on shipment dates.
The Cocoa Freight Negotiations, held annually, have become a cornerstone of Ghana’s cocoa export strategy, providing predictability for shippers and stability for carriers.
Chief Executive of the GSA, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, described the forum as a “strategic space for dialogue and partnership” that has consistently protected Ghana’s cocoa trade. He noted that the agreement comes at a time of considerable change in global shipping, adding: “These facilities, together with ongoing automation and the 24-hour port policy, will cut costs, improve turnaround times, and make Ghana’s cocoa trade more competitive.”
Beyond freight stability, Ghana is accelerating port modernization and logistics infrastructure. The second phase of the MPS Terminal at Tema has been fully integrated, major upgrades have been completed at Takoradi, and the Boankra Inland Port—now 80 percent complete—will soon extend services to exporters from Ghana’s middle and northern belts, as well as landlocked neighbors.
Prof. Gyampo also underscored digitalization and sustainability as critical for the sector’s future, citing Ghana’s Cocoa Traceability System and the International Maritime Organization’s green shipping agenda as evidence of alignment.
For a country that earns more than 70 percent of its foreign exchange from cocoa, the agreement offers much-needed clarity for exporters while keeping Ghana competitive against rivals such as Côte d’Ivoire.
